12+Sansom

Urban development is a delicate balancing act, and sometimes we must say goodbye to cherished local destinations in order to make way for a plan that is ultimately more beneficial to the community and to the city at large. One of such trade-offs is slated to occur at 7619 Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy, Northwest Philadelphia, where the Trolley Car Diner is set to meet the wrecking ball, to be replaced by a six-story, mixed-use residential development designed by Morrissey Design. Although the charming chrome, neon, mural, and freestanding trolley of the diner will be missed, the proposal at hand makes for more effective use of the site, bringing significant residential density within a two0-block walk of the Mount Airy Station of the SEPTA Regional Rail and replacing the auto-centric restaurant with pedestrian-friendly retail.

Permits have been filed for the construction of a single-family structure at 5152 Hoopes Street in the Mill Creek neighborhood of West Philadelphia. The structure will replace a vacant grass lot between two rowhouses to the east and west. The mid-block property is located closer to the corner of Hoopes and North Paxton streets. IRA Development LLC and Yucel Ismail are the owners and Maher Abdelaal is the design professional.